New year, new offerings. Perhaps this is the creed by which Olympus live by as they usher in two new products: the Stylus Touch TG-870 Rugged Compact Camera and the M.Zuiko Digital ED 300mm F/4 IS PRO super-telephoto lens.

Features of the Stylus Tough TG-870 Rugged Compact Camera

Sporting a 16-megapixel BSI-CMOS sensor and TruePic VII Image Processor, the TG-870 has a 21mm ultra wide angle lens and a focal length range of 21-105 mm. It also has an aperture range of f/3.5 to f/5.7 and a 5x optical zoom. It is capable of capturing Full HD 1080/60p video at 60 frames per second. It is also capable of slow motion video at 120 frames per second at 854 x 480 or 640 x 480.

You can view the camera’s playback and functions through the 180-degree, 920,000-dot tilting high-resolution LCD. The screen can also be used to see angles that are tough to have a direct optical view. Likewise, you can let others view the files on their mobile devices by sharing it via its built-in Wi-Fi.

Speaking of built, this Olympus compact camera is built to last for it is freeze-proof for up to 10°C, waterproof for up to 15 metres, shockproof for up to 2.1 metres and crushproof for up to 200 lbs of force. To fortify its toughness, you can use this camera with a compatible silicone jacket, tough sport holder, and underwater case.

To enhance the images, you can make use of the 13 Art Filters available which include Vintage, Watercolor, and Gentle Sepia to name a few. There’s also the Live Composite Mode which combines the bright areas from multiple images taken via interval shooting to create stunning panoramic images of skylines and star trails. To gain access to four video options, you can activate the Sportcam Mode.

There’s also a button in front of the camera which can be triggered for certain functions like shutter release, video recording, Super Macro mode, LED assist, and monitor boost. For geo-tagging purposes, it also has Global Positioning System capability that helps you track your location for as fast as 10 seconds. You can activate the GPS and use the Olympus Image Track smartphone app to update logs and assist data.

Aside from Image Track, the Olympus TG-870 compact camera can also be used with the Image Share app which is available for iOS and Android users. When the camera is hooked to the app via Wi-Fi, the mobile device can be used to control the camera’s settings and to provide a live view of the frame.

On the other hand, the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 300 mm f/4 IS Pro Compact Telephoto Lens packs a number of features despite being smaller than equivalent 600mm DSLR lenses. Composed of 17 elements in 10 groups, the interior includes three Super ED lenses, 3 HR lenses, and 1 E-HR lens to reduce typical telephoto lens problems like chromatic aberration and bleeding. To limit ghosting and flares, it is also covered with Zero Coating Nano technology.

For additional protection, the lens is sealed in 17 locations to make it withstand harsh weather elements. When used with Olympus OM-D cameras, this lens provides 5-Axis Image Stabilization which translates to clear images even without a tripod. This set-up also provides the fastest autofocus among 600mm equivalent DSLR lenses. The lens also has a minimum focusing distance of 1.4 metres and a 0.48x maximum magnification. Finally, the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 300 mm f/4 IS Pro Compact Telephoto Lens is capable of silent autofocus via the Movie and Still Compatible mechanism.